Sunday, March 31, 2013

Do you have an interesting experience, photo, link or video to share? How about a problem to fix, compliment to give or just something you want to vent on and get off your chest about living on Roosevelt Island?

You set the Agenda. Your Chance to pick and write about a topic for Roosevelt Islanders. It's easy and can be fun. Just click on the comments link and type away.

What is Really going on with Westview- my building of over 25 years- we just get rumors, no facts, the WTI- our Taskforce- not giving us any concrete info. on a possibly going private sometime in the near future. The Annual meeting was a farce.. They just mentioned some "plan" in Island House that no one seems to have any concrete info. on.

One of the Co- Chairs just mumbled about a possible purchase price of approx. $ 282. sq. ft it tenants want to or can buy- didn't say where he got this figure from.

Per John Francois at DHCR- the Rep. for Westview- our owners- one being David Hirschorn has not yet applied to take Westview out of the Mitchell Lama system as of today- 2/27/12. Island House has been applied to be taken out of the system.

There are a lot of very very concerned tenants in Westview who can't buy or don't want to buy and have no real idea of what may be happening now...

Micah Kellner's office stating to us per Tony Morenzi- his Chief of Staff that they are committed to a good- "affordable" plan with protections for ALL the residents in WV and IH.

I have some friends, residents in IH telling me otherwise.

They have NOT gotten any notification of being taken out of the M/L system, just getting some apt. inspections, no red herring being offered to them, no black book.

I am under the impression after being a resident of Westview for over 25 years that any owner must get approval of DHCR and possibly RIOC before exiting the M/L system and give tenants adequate notice- so they can find other places to move to.

I am also under the impression that the Attorney General of the State of New York must approve any such deals.

We need clarification in both IH and WV ASAP- since our Tenant Reps. don't seem to want to give it to ALL the Tenants in both complexes...

Their are also the GDP and Master Lease that could play some role here..

Is Roosevelt Island being excluded from the upcoming Bikeshare program? This posting at Streetsblog ( http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/10/12/cb-2-committee-voices-support-for-bike-sharing-as-system-details-emerge/ ) via FreeWilliamsburg ( http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/nycs-shared-bikes-wont-reach-all-of-greenpoint/ ) tends to indicate that we won't be seeing Bikeshare, even though it would be a huge asset to Roosevelt Island.

The quoted article also says: "DOT might extend bike-share into Long Island City, he said, giving it a foothold in Queens. "

I am not sure I can agree that having a bike share on RI would be great asset unless the bikes can be taken from RI, you can keep the bike all day long, and can return it to a different location at the end of your rental. There is just nothing to do here on RI on a bike - as a tourist or as a resident (well, probably a bit more for the former than the latter).

I made extensive use of the bike share in DC when working there. My use was generally from the station near my hotel to the office. The distance wasn't great - it could easily have been walked - but having a bike made it much easier. I could easily see choosing to grab a bike at motorgate for my trip to the subway station instead of waiting for the red bus.

For island visitors, it makes our parks far more accessible. No waiting for the bus. Grab a bike and head down.

If someone wishes, bikes can also be taken off the island (or brought onto), but the fare structure encourages short trips (30 mins free in dc, then nominal charges begin). Bikes don't have to be returned to a specific location - they can be dropped at any nearby station (and, if you need one for a longer trip, a short stop at a station will give you another free 30 mins).

If the bikes can be taken from RI, then Socrates Sculpture Park is just around the corner on Vernon, with Astoria Park further up - well, quite a bit further up the East River. But Astoria Park is great, with great views, acres of trees and lawn, a (albeit somewhat old-fashioned) annual free concert series, the pool, and assorted other facilities.

If one wanted to bike further and in the opposite direction (that is, south) there is also McCarren Park in Williamsburg/Greenpoint - which is also big/tree-ey. McCarren is in the center of one of the hippest areas of NYC with a plethora of cultural/recreational opportunities, all within easy biking distance. Because of the rise of biking in NYC and perhaps more so in that area because of the influx of young residents, there is also abundant bike parking/dedicated bike lanes etc.

I agree with YetAnotherRIer - there isn't that much to do on RI - throughout the island there is no sense of spacious, wide lawns, vistas of trees, etc., except in very few, very limited spots - such as the minuscule Blackwell Park lawn abutting the Meditation steps.

Unfortunately, living on RI, even with the fantastic views of the City/Queens/Bridge etc., is not the same as living in Queens/Brooklyn with fantastic views of the City/Bridge etc. In the boros or even in NJ, if you live on the E. or Hudson river, you usually also have quick convenient access to a wealth of recreational opportunities in the form of spacious parks, or simply interesting shops/restaurants/what have you, that might turn up in the course of a walk. This is missing here, and will always be missing since the island was egregiously over-developed and the chance to at least have acreage either of parkland or "wild areas" was blown many years ago. (Of course you will never really get anything like varied, interesting urban street life on RI, for obvious reasons.)

Real-estate greed trumped quality-of-life here on RI and the result is what you have today: A pretty dull place, with many residents who want "the NY experience" itching to move out once they realize how sterile it is. For others though who have had the NY experience and want a more laid-back, perhaps Zen-like, quiet peaceful oasis in the center of the biggest metro area of the US, RI provides all this - even with Meditation Steps thoughtfully included.

A neighbor walked up to me and told the Roosevelt Island Historical Society should operate Pedi-Cabs at the tram station.I know that the RIHS should do many things. It is about time all out "Shoulda" neighbors listened to their own suggestions. This person told me they were too lazy to operate such a business.

We have too many neighbors who are great at telling the "worker bees" what they should be doing.

To all our suggeter neighbors, take action and listen to your own suggestions.

For the most part, filming that doesn't exercise exclusive control of an area and can be done from a handheld or tripod-mounted camera doesn't require a NYC permit. Larger operations usually, in conjunction with their permit, get an escort from the NYPD. I assume a shoot on the island would have done the same with PSD. Since they did not, I suspect that this was a small operation that wouldn't have otherwise required a permit in NYC. But hey, we need to regulate those dangerous photographers.

What is everyone paying for electricity in submetered buildings? In Manhattan Park, I now have my third bill and the rate seems to swing quite a bit (and my usage is far higher than I would expect). My bills have been:

In my old apartment in Manhattan, I was paying ConEd approximately $0.069224 per kWh. While the actual dollar amount of my bills isn't too insane, that high kWh pricing could really be a serious issue come summertime.

The price structure is exactly the problem I am having with this bike share project as a resident of Roosevelt Island. I do own my bike and I commute almost daily into downtown Manhattan but I'd love to get rid of it and make more space in my apartment (thanks to Manhattan Park who barricaded the outdoor bike racks instead of moving them to a different location). A decent bike share program that allows me to take out a bike in the morning and return it at night would be awesome but the current pricing makes that almost a no-go. So there are the tourists left who may benefit from such thing and I don't think we don't have enough of them to make it worth the costs and efforts to install a rental station.

There is a difference between suggesting an idea and implementing one. I doubt those people come to you and insist that you guys should be running this or that. They are just suggestions and while the suggester may not be in the situation to actually implement their own suggestions they still are well meant.

If there is not going to be a bike-sharing outpost on RI, could RIOC at least extend the red bus route to both Lighthouse & Southpoint Parks starting this spring? This way, visitors to the island could hop on the bus at the tram/train & easily get to these prime sight-seeing/picnicking locations.

Manhattan Park management is making it difficult or impossible for residents to use bike racks? How is that possible in this day and age of expanding bike usage? Barricading bike racks? That seems very backward.

I understand. The system is designed to discourage holding the bike all day - you're intended to drop it at another station so it is available, then pick up a different bike on the way home.

I also work downtown. In my mind, to use the system in a way similar to DC, would pick up a bike at Motorgate, drop it at the Tram (free). Then I would pick up a new bike at the Tram and take it to Wall Street. If that trip was going to take longer than 30 mins, I'd stop and "recheck" my bike along the way (keeping it free). Then, I'd drop it off somewhere on wall street. Then, on the way home, I'd reverse the process, picking up from wall street and working my way back. In my personal situation, I would likely use a bike as an adjunct to the F train. Bike to the train station, then ride the F to 2nd Ave/Houston or Canal, then bike from that station to the office. It would save me hiking through a station or two to transfer and give me an option

The elevators in 20 River Road are broken again...with no information saying when they would be fixed. After calling 311 to report this issue, I found out there are numerous other violations on this building. Grenadier Realty, you need to do your job. You keep raising the rents in times of economic hardship, your heaters and air-conditioners are so old and completely non-energy efficient that it makes the electric bills here insane. The equipment in the gyms is always broken, and now, in a 21 floor building, we should be expected to wait 15 minutes for an elevator or take the stairs? What about the disabled people or the elderly? Please, tenants of 20 River Road, take action! Just dial 311 and ask to make a complaint about an elevator - it takes two minutes of your time! We need to unite to get Grenadier to listen. Also, post/blog/tweet get the word out about this continuous mismanagement.

They fenced off the area behind the buildings for storage of garbage. Unfortunately, that's where the racks are and instead of moving them around the corner to keep them accessible management just left where they are. Locked behind a fence. That was around the same time when the RIOC/PSD decided that there is no outside overnight parking of bicycles.

Roosevelt Island Cleaners are dishonest, they highjack prices for alterations after they tell you one price when you drop off they simply add $10 more dollars when you pick up. Also, item took one week of wait and when I went to pick item up after 5 working business days, item still not ready, was 10$ more expensive and it could suddenly be finished in 1 hr!!!! They are simply so rude and hung up the phone on me several times. Not to mention I called them twice during the week to make sure item was ready Saturday (which is already way later than I had anticipated) then went there Saturday 2 pm, item not ready, they were rude! I took the item away, I had planned to wear it that day to a meeting. They did not get my 30$ but was also very inconvenienced as I had to go to the city 2 hrs before my meeting to buy something else!!!! What a pain! They really do take advantage of Roosevelt Island residents.

"For the most part", you're just taking a shot at PSD. They're just trying their best to do their jobs. You also use words like "I assume" & "I suspect", but you don't really know. Try being supportive as opposed to being so negative. Unless you are one of "those dangerous photographers" you speak so knowingly of.

Check out this article on Related Companies stonewalling on community input regarding their proposed Walmart project. http://www.observer.com/2012/03/walmart-calls-for-community-input-everywhere-but-new-york/

Heres an open mind. What do we have to do as a community to support public safety. I was overhearing a blatant idiotic driver taunt public safety in public with her middle finger extended to the officer. Safe to say she was observed handcuffed shortly thereafter. Regardless this lady looked like a fool.

Sometimes evening jogs end up with a good story. Regardless, it was rediculous of the motorist.

I was very upset about Sherry Wolf's hand-out at the Cornell-Technion meeting last night. She is trying to politicize the coming of these two institutions in a most dangerous way. I hope others have taken notice.

Did you know that neighborhood residents can nominate restaurants to be on Kitchen Nightmares?Tonight, I nominated Trellis - if more people nominate it, maybe we can get Gordon Ramsay out here to give it a kitchen makeover! Spread the word! They can e-mail kitchennightmares@theconlincompany.com

I miss the old days of roosevelt island when it was just the wire buildings. People casec for each other.but now its a diffent place withh these new People with money living here its the new roosevelt island. Fdr must be turning over in his grave.

What will it really take to get a handful of appealing food options on this island?

Yes I know RIOC has addressed this and I know they have an RFP with all of one response. As others have said, no sane entrepreneur could invest in even responding let alone meeting their requirements for such low likelihood of profits.

I won't got to Trellis under any circumstances, go to Riverwalk only occasionally, order for delivery from Fuji East (which is insanely expensive but at least on the right days for sushi, very good) and know that I am not the only one with this pattern.

What about upscale Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai .... you can get a great handmade taco in Union Square (from a truck) for $3.00. Why not here?

Maybe the new "Gourmet organic deli" will help .... but at this point I will only believe it when I see it.

There are a LOT of people here spending A LOT of money for meals from Fresh Direct, delivery from Indian and Thai restaurants in LIC or Astoria and even from a chef who is privately building a meal delivery service (I would mention her name but not sure she is ready to be overwhelmed with business just yet) ... what is the real roadblock into this market - in say 5 single sentence points or less?

I am so sick and tired of the red bus showing partiality to those who work during the week and not during the weekend. I can count on one hand how many times the red bus has NOT come at 6:30am on the weekend. Yes, as in the bus NEVER came.

Then the RIOC will have the bus come when it's supposed to only right after the complaint has been filed, and then a few weeks later do the same sorry and pathetic no-showing of the bus over and over again.

Some of us are not fully able bodied and able to walk everywhere due to medical issues.

I'm sick and tired of the red bus being sorry and pathetic. I feel with the RIOC that they need to get more competent bus drivers and ones who arrive ON TIME.

I've seen this topic posted on here before. Seems like RIOC doesn't give a crap about us islanders unless it's making them money.

They are socially conscious and obsessed with their kids. But are the tenants in octAgon and southtown. Following the law when it comes their nannies. Are they paying them fairly. The rira needs to look into ths.

I'm curious. What, exactly, do you love? Where did you live before? I was raised in Ohio, lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Manhattan,Dallas and Houston. My husband is from Boston and spent 5+ years in Greece and then Rome. What I love is the oasis of quiet and water and green and flowers. When you live in the city, you ARE the view. I work in and love the city but toward the end of the day, RI is pulling me home. No cares if there isn't a lot of nightlife or shopping - it takes 5 minutes to get the some of the best shopping in the world. Finally, better apartments for as much as half the price? I just don't see how it gets any better for me.

Amen tbc212, I grew up in Brooklyn and lived in manhattan for 6 years. Roosevelt Island is such a gem for so many reasons. People have no idea how great this island is and how much greater it will be in the coming years. So happy to see someone finally being positive.

I was walking by the Deli on Friday afternoon and had to stop when I saw the PSD Officers Ceremony. It was really nice. Three RIOC Board members were up front with some Officers from the NYPD. A resident from the community was even presented with an awaerd for helping PSD save someon'e life. Even though I only stayed a short while, I think its great to thank them for their service here on our island.

The issue is that they are asking $50/sqft.. Last I checked every 4th or 5th store front 10 blocks north and south of the tram on 2nd avenue in Manhattan is vacant. Not sure what makes them think many places can survive on RI at $50/ft when so many places can't survive in manhattan (UES) with WAY more foot traffic and potentianl business. With over 30 retail spaces available on main street we need to face facts and the fact is there aren't that many businesses that the island community can support, let alone at $50/ft rent.

Denise, owning Riverwalk B&G and living on the isle I feel I have a grasp on the problems getting more food establishments here. The major issue is that there is very little going on on the isle midday (lunchtime) where many restaurants and food establishments have their lunch push. In manhattan between 11am and 3pm every office building

empties and those employees head out to eat. The island doesn't have that and the little business we do get hardly covers the cost of operating for those hours. That, combined with no discount on rent is a recipe for business failure. There just isn't the volume on the island to support businessses day in and day out.

No but that is a great idea. I will start to do that. If anyone has a favorite take out place that delivers to Roosevelt Island please let me know. Either list it here or send me an email and I will compile the information.

I seem to have missed a change to the Q102 schedule. I hopped on the S/B bus this morning expecting to make the loop and head to catch the E train. When we got to goldwater, though, the driver informed me that it's now a terminal stop and he was taking a 20 minute break. Anyone know when this schedule change was made?

It's time for me to make a confession. I have been reading this blog almost every day for about a year from Austin, Tx- though I have never been to Roosevelt Island or for that matter, any other part of New York City. However, I find your island and it's inner workings/politics fascinating and I can't really explain exactly why! I guess it is because it seems such a very unique place to live- and so few people in this large world of ours can claim that they live there. I thought some of you might like to hear how life on your island and in your city compares with someone who lives in a different American culture and yet- quite similar. I've read many times on here about RI's woes of not having stuff available on the island and the lack of development, and it is much akin to the small town/suburb of Austin that I live in. I commute one hour by car each day in traffic (no traffic is only about 30 minutes- Austin traffic is TERRIBLE), and where I live we do have a small (by Texas standards) grocery store and very few dining options, with no entertainment options at all. We MUST drive to get everywhere, though there is a commuter bus back and forth on business days in early morning/evening commuter hours. Otherwise, if we want anything outside the very basics, we have to drive at least 20 miles to get it, so I feel your pain. Ours is a smaller community outside a city (very common in Tx) that also has its politics and political reasons for why the growth and development leaves a lot to be desired. I have to be honest...I wish that Austin were just a subway stop away from my suburbia!

I would very, very much love to visit your island one of these days and ride the tram! I'm saving up for a trip!

Does this blog have a list of the exact location for all public restrooms on the island? If not, would you consider adding one? I'm familiar with the ones at Southpoint Park, the Tram station, inside the parking garage and at the soccer field. Are there any further north, like at Lighthouse Park? Maybe the list could also contain other available bathrooms, like at Starbucks and Trellis. Would be helpful for visitors to the island. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing what it is like in your home town outside of Austin. In many ways, Roosevelt Island is similar to any other small town USA except it is only minutes from everything the rest of NYC has to offer and we don't need a car.

Just curious whatever got you interested in Roosevelt Island in the first place and thanks for being a reader.

I wish Rick would get rid of the Twitter feed on the main page because the code causes browsers to crash, i.e., I no longer leave Roosevelt Island blog pages open. In the time it takes me to write this message, about 60 MB of additional memory has been consumed by the browser. Eventually, the browser consumes over a gigabyte of memory and crashes (or causes extreme system sluggishness).

To make this go away, I close the Roosevelt Islander page (Rick probably wants people opening his pages, not closing them). I looked at the Twitter code, which allocates memory for messages, but never frees the memory. This is a common programming bug called a Memory Leak. I asked Rick eliminate the Twitter feed portion of his page, and then there were no memory problems with his page. I've found the same memory problem with other (non-RooseveltIslander) web pages that embed the Twitter feed. Rick has brought back the Twitter feed because he says some people like reading it. And if there is a lot of Twitter traffic on Roosevelt Island, it will cause the browser to crash sooner.

So if your system is running extremely slow, try closing this page and other pages that have Twitter feeds. Sorry, Rick!

Just curious, why does the Octagon get an express red bus and no one else? The buses can be so few and far between, it gets frustrating waiting for one near Manhattan Park during the morning rush hour only to have two express buses go past and then have to walk to the subway, never seeing another (local) red bus the entire time.

Well...it was the movie Dark Water *ducks*. I'm sure that movie has been both a blessing and a curse. I had a feeling, though, that RI is a better place than what was portrayed there and it appears I was right in that feeling. I honestly do not understand how it is at all affordable to live in NYC if you are middle class- many of the rents that you pay are nearly equivalent to what I bring home in pay in a month! I guess people there make more than we do here? I wonder if the economy of scale is the same- meaning, your income is adjusted for the cost of living you bear? I think there are some expenses that we bear to live here (ie, car expenses of payments, insurance, gas, maintenance, repairs, parking fees, toll fees) that you don't have when you do not own a vehicle. But still, my mortgage, commuting expenses, and property taxes don't even begin to come close to the very cheapest rent on any apartment I've seen in NYC. Can someone explain this?

Because The People in octagon and southtown represent the new kind of people the power brokers who Run. This Island want living here. See everyone else is a peon.see. upply up people in octagon pay for this expess bus. They donot wantcommon people riding with them. It is nice e to have money.just do what I do give. Them the finger when the bus passes you by.

Well this is the reason why Roosevelt. Island and Manhattan. Is losing its middle class.the rents are too high.and the people who run this island want it that way.this island at one time was for mixed income. But no more

You know, Westviewer, this "neighborhood underservice" is why I think there are so many small Tx towns vs actual "suburbs" or "neighborhoods" of larger cities- matter of fact, a lot of the smaller cities surrounding the larger ones here had the exact same problems of RI: they were underserved neighborhoods that couldn't get the services they wanted or needed, so they incorporated their own cities and municipalities to be able to more quickly and cheaply maintain infrastructures (I can think of 4 that did this in Austin immediately off the top of my head). That comes at a cost though- some of them have only volunteer fire departments, small police forces and worst of all, low sales tax revenues due to lack of business growth to be able to get better access. We don't have a state income tax, so our schools are operated from property taxes, and then we have sales taxes to help support our municipal and state services. If a small town fails to produce a good economic base, it will suffer due to lack of tax revenue (which is exactly what my little suburban town is facing right now!)

Marlo, Thank you for your interest in the Island. People here love to complain but we are minutes away from mainland Manhattan, the greatest city in the World and don't need a car to get there. No one needs to drive to get anything they want, restaurants, museums, movie theaters. People just love to bitch and moan here. They should spend a day in your shoes to realize how very good they have it here.

There has been a specific type od vandalism occurring in motorgate. Someone is trying to break into the trunks of peoples cars, have jammed the trunk locks and the owners have had to replace the locks in order to open their trunks. I thought that it was my key but later found out that others who were parking on my floor were having the same issue. For all of the money people pay to Edison for parking, shouldn't we be able to feel safe and secure about parking our cars there?

Wendy do you ever run into any of the members of the former eastwood building committee. And tell them you had to move out of eastwood Because They are Back stabbers They were supposed to protect all. The tenants in Eastwood

Received yesterday, on New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal stationery: "Notice of Owner's Filing of Notice of Intent to Dissolve North Town Phase III Houses, Inc., i.e., remove Westview from Mitchell-Lama.

It would be nice if RI residents could get to use the few bbqs but off islanders come and we can't get them unless we go at 7AM. That's why people started bringing their own grills. Yes it's a state park, but we pay the taxes and grounds fees so we should get first dibbs. Maybe permits like they do for the tennis courts?

Well you are getting a better deal ThenEastwood.many many working people had to move out.because they were not on fixed. Incomes.and thay did not get a rent stabilized. Apartment like those back stabbers got in the eastwood building committee

I have a topic that I think is something that is constantly neglected. The dog owners and dogs of Roosevelt Island. I am a dog owner and I find it ridiculous that apparently we are now a dog friendly community but are constantly being told we (dog owners and their pets) are not allowed anywhere. When I first moved to the island I was told my building was dog friendly, since then however every grassy area from 405 - 475 is banned. I understand that this is not necessarily RIOC's decision. I do know that we were once allowed on the grass area that surround the fields closest to the sidewalk however, last night Public Safety stopped my friend when she was over that way with her dog and said the next time she let her dog relieve herself there it would be a $250 fine. She asked the Officer where then was she supposed to take her dog. In reply, the Officer said the dog run. Well I have news for those non dog owners its unfair to us and our dogs to make them hold it the 200 yard distance to get to the dog park. Is that the only place us dog owners are allowed with our dogs? If so then that's terrible, that park has its own issues. Most dog parks have shade, running water, and definitely no concrete slabs jutting up from the ground. All of this is unfair to us responsible dog owners who pick up after our pooches only to be yelled at if we go somewhere "off limits". I think Public Safety should focus more on the major problems on the Island like people breaking into cars in the parking garage. homeless people begging for money by train station and Gristedes, and people littering all over the Island.

If any of you dog owners feel the same way feel free to contact me by email so we can speak to someone at RIOC about these issues. m.banko427@gmail.com

For more than 10 years I have been using the grills as an island resident on a regular base and never did I have to get there at 7am to reserve one. Sometimes, all it takes is communication with people there and work with them so we can can coordinate when to use what grill. The parks and the grills are for everybody. Imagine Manhattanites have first dibs at swings on Central Park playgrounds or get to go first on the Central Park carousal.

This is really something you have to bring up to your building management. Has nothing to do with Roosevelt Island or the PSD per se. This island has always been rather dog-unfriendly and it just started to change maybe 5 years or so ago when the Octagon opened. You really only have two choices: work hard with island groups to change the perception of dogs and their owners or find a different place to live for you, your family, and your dog(s).

The island isn't dog-friendly. You got sold a bill of goods by your leasing or real estate agent. The limitations on dogs was actually a selling point for my family. My wife was attacked by a dog as a kid; she avoids even cute little puppies.

Manhattan Park leases have an explicit prohibition on dogs:

THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND RULES AND REGULATIONS DO NOT ALLOW DOGS TO BE KEPT OR HARBORED IN THE APARTMENT, NOR MAY A TENANT'S GUEST BRING A DOG INTO THE APARTMENT. OWNER SHALL NOT PERMIT ANY DOG TO BE KEPT BY A TENANT. Owner consents to other animals being kept or harbored in the Apartment, provided such other animals are not vicious or dangerous, do not disturb tenants or visitors, do not have or cause offensive odors, do not attract vermin, do not make disturbing noises, and do not in any other way constitute a nuisance or danger. This consent can be taken back by Owner from any tenant with respect to any animal at any time for reasonable cause, as determined solely by Owner, on reasonable given notice. BECAUSE OF HEALTH HAZARDS AND POSSIBLE DISTURBANCE OF OTHER TENANTS WHICH ARISE FROM THE UNCONTROLLED PRESENCE OF ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY DOGS, IN THE BUILDING, THE STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS RULE BY EACH TENANT IS A MATERIAL REQUIREMENT OF EACH LEASE. TENANT'S FAILURE TO OBEY THIS RULE SHALL BE CONSIDERED A SERIOUS VIOLATION OF AN IMPORTANT OBLIGATION BY TENANT UNDER THIS LEASE. OWNER MAY ELECT TO END THIS LEASE BASED UPON THIS VIOLATION.

Mark, While I understand and am very sorry to hear that something like this happened to your wife I think that there will be dogs anywhere you choose to live. Even on the island my guesstimate is that there are hundreds of dogs living here. My building alone I think has 25-50 dogs. Once they build the three new related buildings this number is only going to increase rapidly. I thought about living in Manhattan Park (it was actually the first building my boyfriend and I looked at) but once I found out it wasn't dog friendly that was it for me. I could never not have a dog in my life, I always grew up with one and enjoy the unconditional love, trust, and faith they give you. The only restrictions placed upon our dogs are by Public Safety. They state that your dog must have current vaccinations, ID tag, and be on leash unless in the dog park. I hope one day your wife will be able to see the joys that dogs do bring into a home, I understand that having a traumatic experience like that though is very hard to change your feelings. Thanks for your information though, always helpful to hear others thoughts and info.

YetAnotherRler, This is something that I have brought up to my buildings management and are in works with them about the grass areas around these buildings. However, the fact that we are possibly being fined for going on areas that are supposed to be dog friendly is a problem especially when they are public property and there is not a sign forbidding dogs. The fact that Public Safety is the one enforcing this leads me to believe they must have something to do with it. I am aware that the island was once a NO DOG place but since Octagon and Related have broken ground that has changed. I would hate to find another place when I believe the dog population is only going to increase in number. This Island is a gem coming from a smaller town in PA to the big city. I am just trying to get those other dog owners that feel the same way to come forward to help me out. I do not want to cause a big stir about this I only want to make this issue known and find a way to fix it. If anyone has information or someone I can speak to I would gladly accept it.

Talk on Urban Gardening by John Ameroso of Cornell University Extension on June 23rd 2012 11:00AM-1:00PM. Meet in the southern end of the garden by the picnic tables. Open to all Roosevelt Island Gardeners and interested parties. Please contact Karen Lee at islandgirl807@aol.com to RSVP

I would Like rioc to look into THE matter of why domino pizza no longer. Comes to the farmers market on Saturdays. Selling pies for five. DollArs. I understand That THE owner of the pizza place had him ran off the island.THE owner of nannos

Once again excessive noise from Ravenswood Power Plant for the past 36 hours straight & still going. All those in Eastwood with Queens facing windows have no chance of sleep. Are there really not any noise related laws that can assist us in reining this in?

Probably "revving up" because of the big demand for power due to the excessive heat. The scrubbing noise is even louder, but doesn't last that long. We deal with it, just as folks in LIC deal with it; there is also a big plant in N. Astoria. Forget about the pollution that comes out of the stacks - which is why the stacks are so tall. The thought it the pollution is wafted away from populated areas - hah! This is the trade-off of not having to pay as much in rent as in Manhattan, or in fact, many other areas that do not face a huge electrical generating plant. Still, we have to thank Con Ed (or whichever company currently controls Ravenswood): Without them, there would be no air-conditioning, no refrigeration, no fans.. and in the winter, no electrical baseboard heating. A handy "fix" for power plant noise: Earplugs!

The level, and duration of noise that emanates frm this plant is not resolved with earplugs, believe me I've tried. This is completely unacceptable. Just as the airline industry is under strict regulation with regards to noise distrurbance of nearby residents, so should this plant be. Nearby residents shouldn't be forced to endure this daily assault for the "better good". BTW - rents aren't that inexpensive anymore and there are many paying market. Add'l note, the noise continues and has now been ongoing for the past 72 hours straight.

I'm familiar with the noise from the plant. A/c noise neutralizes the outside noise, and days where the plant noise is loud and you are not running your a/c, you could simply run the a/c on fan only to cancel out the plant noise. I think in most parts of the city, it isn't easy to find complete silence with the windows open - because of traffic/bus noise, noise of passersby, or, in our case, the noise from the power plant. Maybe you can get some traction to have the same noise abatement standards of airports applied to power plants in NYC: That sounds like an issue "tailor-made" for one of our elected representatives, like Jessica Lappin or an Assemblyman etc.

OK. Well I am a 12 year old girl and I have lived on Roosevelt Island my WHOLE LIFE! I love Roosevelt Island because my parents let me hang out later because well Roosevelt Island is safe!... Well I just wanted to say that Roosevelt Island is an awesome place to live and it is safe, fun, and there are a lot of parks to play in and to hang out! I used to wish I lived in the city because most of my friends live there...... but I like Roosevelt Island 10 times better! :)

Yea . AND They. All hang Out at the riverwalk bar And grill.bring Back Julies bar where real sports fans hung Out. Where THE Blue collar People hung Out. Not These NEW hipsters.Who hang Out at The riverwalk Bar AND grill.

ZHotel has implemented its own bikeshare so that guests can get around LIC. Neat! http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120629/long-island-city/luxury-long-island-city-hotel-offers-complimentary-bike-service

Marissa, the Island has been billed as dog-free for many years and that was one of THE main selling points. Be realistic, it's an island. A rather small island. Over-populated and over-populating with people who disrespect the others and the rules of the place, and leave their dogs' crap in the grass or allow their dogs to bark loudly during the night and keep the neighbors awake. No fun squeezing by huge dogs that sometimes fight in the building lobby. No fun getting in the elevator with small, yelping dogs. Not to mention that PSD doesn't enforce the rules. Not to mention that some Island residents should not be allowed to own dogs. I really don't feel I should like dogs just because the Island decided to change its long-time policy and accepted them in order to lure new residents. However, Rivercross is still dog-free and is, possibly, the best building on the Island. It can be done.

For those on RI that shop at Pathmark on Northern Boulevard: This store - which is only 1 mile from RI - is closing next month, a "victim" of Costco's, and will reopen as a Food Bazaar supermarket. Just go on the Pathmark website to find the location of other Pathmark stores in Queens/Manhattan/Brooklyn. None of the others, however, are as close or as convenient to get to as the one on Northern Boulevard. Maybe it's time to check out the other supermarkets in Astoria such as Tradefair/Key Food etc. Here are some links about the Northern Blvd Pathmark closure http://www.qgazette.com/news/2012-06-20/Features/Crains_NY_Reports_Food_Bazaar_Will_Open_At_Pathmar.html and http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/22/pathmarkclosing_at_2012_05_31_q.html

What is the purpose of making the ridiculous Southbound loop on the Red Bus at Motorgate? This morning, a crowd of folks waiting at 10RR took exception to the driver telling them, at 10:02, that they should have crossed over when the hour passed and met them at the non-rush stop.

Yes, but couldn't the same need be met by simply picking them up on the Northbound trip? At that point in the day, I've discovered, the northbound bus *is* the next southbound bus. With this hot weather, instead of waiting at 40RR for it to come back, I get on the N/B and spend an extra 10 mins in air conditioned comfort. Shoppers could board on the NB stop and the loop eliminated, speeding up the entire route.

I managed to get a short video of this morning's response, though I didn't get the passenger's complaints, which (in the driver's defense) weren't presented politely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj2Q-v8k2Ow

The answer to RIOC outsourcing food truck business is that at Thursday's Real Estate Committee meeting it was decided to ask the NY Street Food Association to run a type of "food truck lot" with rotating trucks for different days on the 3 West Promenade spots used by food trucks. Have to wait and see if NY Street Food Association wants to do that.

Not sure if that includes the other designated spots on Roosevelt Island for food trucks at Tram Station, Lighthouse Park, Southpoint etc.

If Mobile Food Trucks that are not members of the NY Street Food Association want to come to Roosevelt Island, like La Bella Torte Italian desserts, they will have to pay $345 per month.

Will have more on the Real Estate Committee meeting, including video, in next couple of days.

Real Estate Committee also agreed to allow Pier NYC to increase their seating capacity from 60 seats to 110 and to stay open until 10 PM Monday - Thursday/Sunday and 11 PM on Friday and Saturday. The seating is within the current footprint. In exchange for the additional seating, RIOC did not ask for an increase fee from Pier NYC.

Yes I think RIOC is doing a great job. I see improvements on this Island all the time. It seems to me that some people on this island don`t know what to do with themselves except complain. Maybe that`s their hobby. Maybe they should take up basket weaving.

The fortunate ones here, as elsewhere, are those that are in a position to shell out the big bucks Hudson demands for rent. Even MP is no bargain, and Octagon, considering that it is somewhat lacking as a building, isn't cheap, either. RI is well-located, and has a wonderful amenity in the tram. But it's been ruthlessly exploited by the developers to line their pockets, and the exploitation victimizes people of all backgrounds.

Siscoeb = shill for RIOC or Hudson (or maybe both). Check out Motorgate for example: It's RIOC's reponsibility to keep it up. The windows were powerwashed last year, but since then, it has once again descended into its usual grimy condition. It needs much more upkeep - the floors by the elevators are crumbling. And what about the escalator? People have complained about Motorgate for years, but the complaints have fallen on deaf ears at RIOC.

It seems to me that you have a lot of free time. Perhaps you should get a broom and a mop and clean up the dirt at Motorgate. This way you will feel like you are contributing to the community instead of yapping all the time. Don`t forget the mirrors in the elevator.

On the dog issue - has anyone considered that wild animals poop on our grassy areas? Pigeons, Seagulls, insects, and yes even those poor squirrels who were assassinated. And the litter people throw is disgusting - pretty sure that's not dog - or cat - litter. I curb my dog every time and so far have not come across any other dog doo. I see other dog owners doing the same thing. If our dogs were really doing so much damage we wouldn't have grass anywhere. And we call it a "dog run"? I threw away several pieces of sharp metal from there not too long ago. This "dog run" is merely metal fencing surrounding dirt. It's ok if you don't like dogs and it's ok if you don't like me. You go your way, I'll go mine.

Oh no I absolutely love it here. I just think we can do better. Hudson jacking up rents for existing and future tenants and they deserve to make a profit but frankly it's not much better that what we have now in my opinion.

I tell it like I sees it.. also, it's up to the residents to complain to the management or to RIOC about problems or ineptitude they may come across. Isn't that what See-Click-Fix is all about? A program that RIOC itself implemented? Hmm?

Mr. Lyon, there was a schedule that many of us worked on (RIOC, residents). The pickup at 10RR was to help MP passengers during rush hour. At 10:02, rush hour is over and we're back to the normal schedule with the SB pickup at the Motorgate turnaround, so Yes the bus driver was right to pick up there.

To your point with the hot weather, if you're carrying frozen items and eliminate the southbound stop you don't have frozen food when you get home. Yes, it is the same bus, but you're traveling longer times in the hot weather. A/C in Gristede's is much cooler than A/C on bus.

Lastly, eliminating the stop doesn't save time because (from a queuing theory perspective) you're still serving the same number of passengers and bus routine timing is dependent upon passenger boarding delay. Also, because the bus has more passengers NB than SB at that time of day, bus route timing might be worse (longer passenger boarding times with fuller bus) by eliminating the stop as you suggested.

Truly, if passengers felt there were such a convenience that you describe, they would already avail themselves of it now (which they don't).

What is it with this Hmm? Are starting a chorus on Roosevelt Island? The other day I had the pleasure of meeting the great German philosopher Herman Von Hamburger who was visiting Roosevelt Island. He said that people who complain too much should go back to where they came from. I thought that was too harsh and I disagreed with him. I just wish you would stop yapping and take a broom and a mop and clean up Motorgate.

If you are not happy with the dog run.Clean it up and plant some grass there instead of Yapping. I have seen dog owners on the lawn and owners not having a leash on their dogs. Maybe you need an eye exam.

All you people complaining about RIOC and Hudson need to realize that the RIOC board is made up in part by citizens of Roosevelt Island who are not paid but care about this community. There were elections and some of these citizens ran and won. All you people yapping all the time had the opportunity run also. So if you are not happy with RIOC there is an election this coming November. Get involved. Outside of children born here most of us came here from other areas all over the world. So if you are not happy here go back where you came from. Good riddance.

Sisco I think the point is that there are many dog owners on the island, most of which are very responsible and they are getting a bad rap because of the few irresponsible ones. I do not own a dog here but have friends that do and its frustrating to them that the rules on where dogs can relieve themselves is so specific as well as where they are allowed to be off leash (which is basically the tiny filthy dog parks that are here.) With all the land and grass on the isle they do deserve to have a little more space to run their dogs freely, where dog owners can meet and people who are scared of dogs will still feel safe.

All, I LOVE living here. I have no opinion on how the RIOC is doing it's job. I em really happy that an RIOC even exists. I completely respect any public "official" who is working to improve Only trying to weigh in here and truly appreciate their public service. . Similar to smokers (I am one) - we are our own worst enemies. We smoke in people's face's and stomp our butts everywhere. If I were a non-smoker I would disdain all smokers because of our collective bad behavior. Personally I don't smoke around non-smokers because that would be rude. I thought this was a forum to openly offer ideas regarding our special, beautiful island. Sorry to have offended.

The constant talk about RI's isolation, separateness from the city, remoteness, and so forth, remind me of the constant reiteration years ago, of the island's "traffic-free" status. It wasn't true even then, but the constant repetition of it led people to be shocked, shocked, when they finally came here and saw a street and cars. I would like to see much more public recognition that the island is a New York City neighborhood one subway stop from Bloomingdale's. I can't help feeling that an attitude change like this would go far toward improving the retail situation.

I agree 100%. Perception is everything and the perception of Roosevelt Island of the majority of NYC is not a good one. Just look at this site that featured the Pier and what they wrote about roosevelt Island. http://www.thrillist.com/bars/new-york/ny/10044/roosevelt-island/pier-nyc_bar-food_bars_outdoors_american_bbq_good-for-groups_lunch_seafood

The 1st thing they say is smallpox hospital. If we can change perception then we can change what is possible here.

Rockey the rhinoceros said "all the people criticising RIOC should run for RIOC when elections come around instead of using useless yapping" Maybe Rockey has a point. Perhaps you people that are always moaning and groaning should get involved. Try running for RIOC. The other day I overheard someone say" people who complain all the time are a bunch of losers". Of course I would never say that in our democratic system. All opinions are welcome.

Rat extermination to be stepped up at Tramway Park at 2nd Ave and East 59th-60th Sts because of exploding rat population. http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120802/upper-east-side/out-of-control-rat-problem-target-of-east-side-park-cleanup-efforts?

Salaries have not kept up with rents, and there's currently 10% official unemployment in NYC (unofficially, or really, it must be much worse).

People packed into sub-standard or illegally subdivided dwellings so as to be able to make outrageous rents - all this has been on the upswing under Bloomberg, who refuses to build adequate affordable housing, much less new public housing.

His idea of affordable: You get to apply under a Lotto scheme for the scarce apartments, which are not even rent stabilized although at first they're priced relatively low. There are income guidelines to get in initially... but the rent can just keep on rising even though peoples' incomes, especially if they're past their prime earning years, may tend to drift downward. With the rising cost of living in general and the stagnation in salaries, peoples' incomes are falling anyway.

You then have the "promise" of a mixed-income community such as RI, which as a mixed-income community is barely hanging on by its fingernails - it's rapidly gentrifying. And even the more well-off, do they feel good about forking over outrageous rents for the "privilege" of living on RI?

Business found a gold-mine in exploiting Manhattan housing demand, and accordingly keeps the supply low to keep the prices high. The play has spread to Brooklyn big-time, and eventually will get to Queens (as in LIC) and even the Bronx (one day). No thought is given to starting actual businesses, or providing new public housing for the employees that might work in those businesses, just as was done with the roughly 3,400 units of public housing that was built in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, between 1941 and 1944 to house the 71,000 workers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Greene,_Brooklyn#Urban_development_in_1858 - instead capital today is poured into high-priced condos and hotels, as a sure-fire way to make a profit. Why do people wonder that there are no jobs when money is instead being poured into luxury housing developments - many of which stand empty in Brooklyn because of the fall-off in income, and because the owners refuse to come down on price.

Eastwood should be converted into public housing, and more money should be invested into public housing for new construction and upkeep of existing buildings. Yet none of this will ever happen as long as politicians take a back seat to their all-powerful donors, who most usually come from the real estate industry. The beauty part of it is for business: They get to control the pols via campaign donations so their chosen method of housing exploitation is guaranteed by laws implemented by their bought-and-paid-for politicians. They have the most money, so they become the highest bidder in the contest to control politics. They also have interlocking directorships and commonalities of interest with many other key areas of political life, such as media conglomerates - so they can guarantee their man always gets the most/favorable coverage. Because politics now boils down to money, they can squelch dissent easily by with-holding funding (i.e. ad money) from any candidate that displeases them. So all the possible snafus are neatly eliminated.. and they can sit back and watch the money pour in, from all the layers in society who have to either pay up, or face eviction; pay up, or face foreclosure.

Very funny Jesse... just keep cracking those jokes as you shell out the big bucks to stay in your overpriced RI digs.. I'm sure your landlord is laughing right along with you - as he laughs all the way to the bank..

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Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.